Adaptive Learning Tools - Investigation

What are adaptive learning tools?

There is increasing interest in adaptive learning tools that represent information to students on a personal basis depending on their interactions. Adaptive learning tools track the strengths and weaknesses of each student in a way a single coordinator cannot. They represent learning content to each student according to their personal strengths and weaknesses, providing a personal 'adaptive' experience. These tools often include 'branching' which allows them to present material in a different orders according to the personal responses (strengths and weaknesses) of each student.

What are we doing for adaptive learning?

Currently the Blackboard quiz allows feedback, directing students to revision material based on responses. The elearning team ran a pilot of the iSpring advanced authoring tool with branching during 2016. The Cerego adaptive learning tool was being added to EdX and can be added to Blackboard at no cost. Coordinators are invited to provide feedback on whether this tool should be integrated. The tool helps with rote learning based on principles of neuroscience and cognitive science. Instructors can create quizzes that remember a student’s progress and reinforce weak points using the scientific method of spaced rehearsal. Cerego was awarded a grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a study indicates it can help increase grades in math and biology at least.